Ayatollah Khamenei Expresses Little Confidence in Nuclear Talks with the US

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has expressed pessimism about negotiations with the US regarding his country's nuclear program. 'We do not believe it will lead to anything,' the ayatollah said during a speech. He called it a 'major mistake' to deny his country the right to enrich uranium.

Khamenei referred to a key sticking point in the talks. US envoy Steve Witkoff told ABC last weekend that Iran must not continue enriching uranium, calling it a red line. Iran, which claims to use nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, has insisted that giving up uranium enrichment is non-negotiable.

Uranium can be used for energy production but also to create nuclear weapons, the latter requiring highly enriched uranium. The US aims to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons. Iranian diplomats have indicated that discussions could focus on the quantity and level of uranium enrichment.